Game apparatus



J. P. COUGHLIN.

GAME APPARAT US.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 24, 1919.

1,369,084. Patented Feb. 22, 1921.

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PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES P. COUGHLIN', OF HASTINGS, NEBRASKA.

GAME APPARATUS.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 22, 1921.

Application filed November 24, 1919. Serial No. 340,141.

ToaZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES P. CO GHLIN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hastings, in the county of Adams and State of Nebraska, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus, ofwhichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in games especially adapted foruse as a source of amusement to both young and old.

Briefly stated a game constructed in accordance with this inventioncomprises a casing provided with a numbered dial and a hopper arrangedabove the dial and the object of the game is to throw a plurality ofballs from afdistant point into the hopper for rotating or partiallyrotating the dial for registering. the points attained on each play orattempt. The sum of the individual points constitutes the total scorefor the individual players who aim to attain a predetermined score. Forinstance, it may be desired to attain a predetermined score of 125 bythrowing the balls in the direction of the dial for operating the same.In the practice of the invention, the players, of course, take turns andat each turn or try each player throws preferably three balls and thetotal number of points attained as the result of throwing the threeballs is added to the score I already attained until the number ofpoints reach or nearly reach v125. Assuming that one player attains ascore of 123 after a number of plays he has to now attain the exactnumber of points necessary tocomplete a full score, or, in other words,he must attain two points. In the event thatthe score of one player is12Qandh'e' registers seven more points on the; next play those sevenpoints willnot count but he must attainthe exact number or lessthan theexact number to complete the required points. dial further provided witha minusnumeral so in the event of the player registering this minusnumeral his score is subtracted from rather than being enhanced.

A further object of this invention is to provide a game of the classdescribedwhich is simple, neat in appearance and cheap to manufacture. ap p In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application andin which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughoutthe same, I I u v Figure lis a perspective of a game em bodying theinvention;

Fig. 2 is a central vertical section through the same;

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Inthe drawing wherein for the purpose of illustration is' shown apreferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 5 designates a casinghaving a front wall 6, a rear wall 7 and side walls 8 connecting thefront and rear walls. The upper portion of the front wall 6 is inclinedoutwardly, as indicated at 9, as are the adjacent portions of thesidewalls 8 for forming a hopper 10 which opens out through the top ofthe casing. As illustrated in Fig. 2 the hopper is provided with abottom wall 11 which extends downwardly from one side wall 8 andterminates short of the other side wallforforming a discharge opening 12through which a plurality of balls 13 are adapted to pass upon enteringthe hopper. The inclination of the bottom wall 11 obviously directs theballs 13 to the opening 12 so that the same may readily pass throughsaid opening and into a vertical channel or chute 1 1 formed'by avertical partition 15 and the adjacent side wall 8. y I

A dial 16 arranged within the casingis mounted on a pivot element 17 andis rotatable about a horizontal axis so that an annular series offigures provided onthe outeredge portion of the dial may be viewedsingly through a sight opening 18 in the frontwall 6. \Vith reference to3, it will benoted that the dial 16 is disposed forwardly of thepartition 15 so that the L- shaped radially disposed operating arms 19of the same will not engage said partition during the rotation of thedial. With further reference to this figureand to" ig. 2 it will beobserved that the horizontal portions 20 of the 'L-shaped arms 19 extendbeyond the ends of the partition when passing the same so' that the,free rotation of the dial is not interfered with. The radial arms 19extend into the vertical channel 14 and are en gaged by the balls 13during the descent of the same so as to impart a rotary movement to thedial. 7 I n The improved game herein illustrated and described isprovided with means to aline in one of the figures on the dial with thesight opening 18 sothat two adjacent figures may not be partly alinedwith the sight opening and thereby result in confusion and uncertaintyon the part of the players of the ame. As illustrated in Fig. 2, an arm21 1s horizontally pivoted, as indicated at 22, to the bottom wall 11and is provided with a roller 23 adapted to seat in a series of concaverecesses 24: in the periphery of the dial. During the rotation of thedial in a clockwise direction the roller 23 rides over the shouldersbetween the recesses 24 so as to prevent excessive rotation of the dial.In other words, the roller 23 serves to prevent the dial from partakingof a number of unnecessary revolutions when actuated by one of thefalling balls, since it is not necessary to unduly delay the game andholding the players in metal suspense while waiting for the dial tostop. The arm 21 is prevented from assuming a vertical position by atransversely extending stop element or shoulder 24 whereby bindingbetween the dial and the roller is prevented.

During the passage of each ball through the chute or channel 14 the sameengage a horizontally pivoted gong-operating member 25 which when movedon its pivot 26 engages the bell 27. Therefore, each time a ball isdirected through the channel 1% the players of the game are so advised.In addition to directing the attention of the players to the casing, thebell serves to advise the players that the balls are passing through thecasing properly and uninterruptedly.

In the practice of the invention, the easing is attached by a ring 28 tothe wall or other suitable support and the players stand a predetermineddistance from the casing and throw the balls in an attempt to directthem into the hopper. The balls are, of course, thrown into the hopperindividually and by reason of the inclined bottom wall 11 of the casingthe balls are directed through the passage or channel 14. The descent ofthe balls within the passage causes the bell to ring and also imparts arevolution or part of a revolution to the dial. The number appearingthrough the sight opening 18 is applied to the score of the player whoseturn it is, though in the event of the minus number being alined withthe sight opening the score of that player is detracted from. In playingthe game, the participants, of course, take turns in throwing the ballswhich in this case, number three, into the hopper. The game, of course,may be made more difiicult to play and may require the exercise ofadditional skill by positioningthe casing at an increased distance fromthe players whereby it is made more difiicult to throw the balls intothe hopper. hen the score of any player approaches the desired number ofpoints it is necessary for the player to exactly complete his score. Inother words, if the predetermined number of points is 125 and the playerhas attained 120 he must now attain five points or less than five toapply on the score. No points over five may be applied to the score sothat it may require numerous attempts before the player completes hisquota. During this period the other players of the game who are not sofar advanced may have an opportunity to increase their chances of wining the game. By this method of playing, the game is rendered extremelyinteresting and often exciting.

As illustrated in Fig. 1, the front wall 6 of the casing terminatesabove the bottom 29so that the balls may be removed from the casingafter passing through the channel 1 1. A transverse strip 30 is securedto the casing and is arranged midway of the bottom of the front wall 6and the under side 29 so as to prevent the loss or accidental removal ofthe balls from the casing. At one side of the casing, an inclined runwayor strip 31 is provided for directing the balls to the other side of thecasing where the same may be removed.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown anddescribed is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and thatsuch minor changes in arrangement and construction of parts may be madeas will remain within the spirit of the invention and the scope of whatis claimed.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A game apparatus including a casing, a dial arranged within saidcasing and provided with a series of figures, the front wall of saidcasing being provided with a sight opening with which said figures areadapted to register, a vertical partition disposed within said casing inspaced relation to one side wall of the same thereby providing avertical channel, and a pluralityof radial arms carried by said dial andextending into said channel.

2. A game apparatus including a casing having its upper portion enlargedto provide a hopper, said hopper being provided with a downwardlyinclined bottom wall extending from one side of the casing andterminating short of the other side of the easing thereby providing adischarge opening. a vertical partition arranged beneath the bottom wallof said hopper and in spaced relation to one side wall. of the casingthereby providing a vertical channel in line with the discharge openingof said hopper, a dial arranged within the casing and rotatable about ahorizontal axis, a plurality of L- shapedjarms extending radially fromsaid dial and into said channel, said dial being provided with anannular series of figures, and an operating device adapted for movementthrough said channel.

3. A game apparatus including a casing having its upper portion enlargedto provide a hopper, said hopper being provided with a downwardlyinclined bottom Wall extending from one side of the casing andterminating short of the other side of the casing thereby providing adischarge opening, a vertical partition arranged beneath the bottom Wallof said hopper and in spaced relation to one side Wall of the casingthereby providing a vertical channel in line with the discharge openingof said hopper, a dial arranged within the casing and rotatable about ahorizontal axis, a plurality of L-shaped arms extending radially fromsaid dial and into,

said channel, said dial being provided with an annular series offigures, an operating device adapted for movement through said channel,and an audible signal having an arm extending into said channel andadapted to be engaged by said operating device.

' 4-. A game apparatus of the class described including a casing havinga hopper provided with a discharge opening, a dial arranged within saidcasing and provided with a series of concave recesses in its outer edge,and a pivoted arm arranged with said casing and provided with a rolleradapted to be seated in said concave recesses, said dial being providedwith a series of figures. 5. A game apparatus of the class describedincluding a casing having a hopper provided with a discharge opening, adial arranged within said casing and provided with a series of concaverecesses in its outer edge, a pivoted arm arranged within said casingand provided With a roller adapted to be seated in said concaverecesses, said dial being provided with a series of figures, and a stopelement engaging the rear side of said arm for retaining the same in aninclined position.

6. A game apparatus including a casing having a hopper, a dial arrangedWithin the casing and rotatable about a horizontal axis, said di'albeing provided With a plurality of numbers, a vertical partitionarranged within said casing in spaced relation to one side wall of thesame thereby forming a vertical channel, a plurality of L-shaped armsex- 1 tending radially from said dial and extend ing into said verticalchannel, a bell carried by said casing and provided with an operatingdevice extending into said vertical channel, and means to limit therotary movement of said dial, the bottom of said casing being providedwith discharge means.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

JAMES P. COUGHLIN. [L.s.]

